Fifteen Hours(科幻战争)-第42章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


the　things　Davir　said？　That　it　was　just　his　way？”
“Of　course　I　remember；　new　fish。”　Bulaven　said。　“Why　do　you　bring　it　up？”
“Well；　I　was　wondering　about　Zeebers…”　Abruptly　Larn　paused；　uncertain　how　best　to　broach
the　subject。
“Zeebers；　new　fish？　What　about　him？”
“I　think　he　has　noticed　that　Zeebers　has　been　showing　a　certain　hostility　towards　him；　Bulaven；”
Scholar　said；　raising　his　eyes　from　his　book　once　more　to　look　at　Larn。　“I　am　right；　yes；　new　fish？
That　is　what　you　were　about　to　ask？”
“Ah；　I　see；”　said　Bulaven。　“Well；　there　is　no　great　secret　there；　new　fish。　Zeebers　just　gets
nervous　whenever　there　are　any　more　than　four　men　in　our　fireteam。”
“Nervous？”　asked　Larn。　“Why？”
“It　is　a　matter　of　superstition　with　him；”　Scholar　said。　“Apparently；　on　Zeebers’　homeworld　the
number　four　is　considered　lucky。　Then；　when　he　first　came　to　Broucheroc　and　joined　us　there　were
only　three　men　left　in　our　fireteam　…　Bulaven；　Davi；　and　myself。　Hence；　Zeebers　was　the　fourth　man；
lucky　number　four　to　his　mind；　and　he　has　convinced　himself　that　is　how　he　survived　his　first　fifteen
hours　—　not　to　mention　how　he　has　survived　ever　since。　So；　you　see；　whenever　they　send　us　a　new
replacement　and　there　are　five　men　in　the　fireteam　he　tends　to　believe　his　luck　has　become
endangered　somehow。　You　remember　before　I　said　every　man　here　has　his　own　theory　as　to　how　he
survived　where　so　many　others　have　died？　Zeebers’　beliefs　are　but　anomer　example　of　the　same
thing。”
“You　see；　new　fish；　no　great　mystery。”　Bulaven　said；　before　abruptly　turning　his　head　to　look
over　at　another　part　of　the　dugout。　“Hmm；　looks　like　something　is　brewing。”
Following　the　direction　of　Bulaven’s　gaze；　Larn　saw　Sergeant　Chelkar　standing　deep　in
conversation　with　Corporal　Vladek　by　the　quartermaster’s　table　in　the　corner　of　the　barracks。　Then；
while　Sergeant　Chelkar　walked　away　to　talk　to　someone　else；　Vladek　turned　to　open　a　wooden　crate
beside　him　and；　one…by…one；　began　to　carefully　pull　out　a　number　of　heavy　demolitions　charges　and
stack　them　on　the　table　before　him。　As　he　did；　Larn　noticed　that　Bulaven’s　face　had　grown　suddenly
uneasy　as　though　the　big　man　had　seen　something　in　Vladek’s　actions　to　worry　him。
“What　is　it；　Bulaven？”　he　asked。　“What　have　you　seen？”
“A　bad　sign；　new　fish。”　Bulaven　said。　“Between　me　and　you；　a　very　bad　sign　indeed。”
“We　are　at　Alert　Condition　Red；”　Chelkar　said；　his　face　grave　as　he　addressed　the　Guardsmen
standing　before　him　while　overhead　the　sound　of　explosions　continued。　“Sector　Command　says　we
can　expect　an　assault。　A　big　one；　probably　timed　to　begin　the　moment　this　bombardment　ends。
Looks　like　the　orks　are　going　to　hit　us　hard　this　time。　Leastways；　harder　than　any　of　the　other　attacks
we’ve　had　to　deal　with　today。”
A　few　minutes　had　passed　and　in　the　wake　of　his　conversation　aster；　Sergeant
Chelkar　had　ordered　the　men　in　Barracks　Dugout　One　to　arm　themselves　and　assemble　around　the
iron　stove　for　an　impromptu　briefing。　Scholar；　Bulaven；　Davir；　Zeebers；　the　other　fireteams；　even
93
Vladek　and　the　one…armed　cook　Skench；　stood　in　their　battle　gear　listening　intently　to　Chelkar’s
words；　their　expressions　every　bit　as　grave　and　serious　as　their　sergeant’s。　Looking　about　him；　Larn
saw　that　the　easy　and　relaxed　manner　with　which　these　men　had　enjoyed　their　time　in　the　barracks
was　gone　now。　They　were　soldiers　once　more。　Guardsmen。　They　were　ready　for　war。
“I　won’t　lie　to　you。”　Chelkar　said。　“Things　look　grim。　Every　other　sector　in　the　area　is　under
heavy　assault　and　all　reserve　units　are　tied　up　elsewhere。　Which　means　no　there　is　no　potential　for
reinforcements　—　at　least　not　for　several　hours。　Worse；　Battery　Command　is　already　tasked　to　the
limit；　so　we　can’t　expert　artillery　support　either。　We　still　have　our　own　mortars；　of　course；　and　our
fire　support　teams　but；　other　than　that；　we　are　on　our　own。
“Now　for　the　good　news。　Sector　Command　has　made　it　clear　that　if　we　lose　here　there　is　the
danger　of　a　major　ork　breakthrough　into　the　city。　Accordingly；　they　have　ordered　that　we　are　to　hold
this　sector　at　all　costs。　Stand　or　die；　they　say。　No　matter　how　many　orks　come　at　us　or　how　hard　they
hit　us；　we　are　to　hold　on　until　we　are　reinforced；　the　ork　assault　fails；　or　the　Emperor　descends　to
fight　alongside　us　—　whichever　one　of　those　comes　first。　We　hold　the　line。　I　don’t　care　if　hell　itself
comes　calling。　We　hold　the　line　no　matter　what。　Not　that　we　have　much　choice　here　anyway；　you
understand。
You　all　know　what　happens　if　we　retreat。　The　commissars　don’t　even　bother　with　a　court　martial
anymore：　it’s　just　a　bullet　in　the　back　of　the　head　and　a　place　on　the　corpse…pyres。　This　is
Broucheroc：　between　the　orks　and　our　own　commanders；　there’s　just　nowhere　else　left　for　us　to　go。
As　for　our　plan　of　defence；　I　have　ordered　Vladek　to　distribute　four　extra　frag　grenades　to　each
man　and　one　demolition　charge　per　fireteam。　Once　the　assault　begins　we　will　hold　the　forward　firing
trenches　for　as　long　as　possible；　only　retreating　to　the　dugout　emplacements　when　the　situation　there
becomes　untenable。　Then；　once　we’re　at　the　dugout　emplacements　we　will　make　a　stand。　That’s　as
far　as　we　go。　After　that；　it’s　hold　the　line　or　die。
“Are　there　any　questions？”
No　one　spoke。　Silently；　the　Guardsmen　stood　gazing　back　at　their　sergeant　with　resolve　and
determination　etched　into　every　line　of　their　faces。　For　better　or　worse；　they　were　ready。
“All　right；　then；”　said　Chelkar。　“We　have　been　in　this　situation　often　enough　before　to　make
saying　anything　else　irrelevant。　You　all　know　what　is　ahead　of　us。　I　will　say　only　this。　Good　luck　to
every　one　of　you。　And；　fates　willing；　let　us　all　see　each　other　again　when　the　battle　is　over。”
“Maybe　it　is　The　Big　Push；”　Larn　heard　one　of　the　Vardans　say　as　he　hung　the　extra　grenades
Vladek　had　given　him　on　his　belt　and　went　over　to　join　the　other　members　of　Fireteam　Three。
“Emperor　knows；　it　was　bound　to　happen　sometime。”
“It　can’t　be；”　said　another　man　nearby。　“General　Headquarters　would　have　told　us。”
“Phah。　You　are　fooling　yourself；”　a　third　man　said。　The　damn　generals　refuse　to　even　admit　The
Big　Push　exists。
“When　it　finally　does　come　they’ll　be　caught　as　much　by　surprise　as　the　rest　of　us。”
The　Big　Push。　By　then　Larn　had　heard　the　phrase　used　several　times　already；　whispered　amongst
themselves　by　grim…faced　Guardsmen　as　they　stood　in　the　dugout　making　final　adjustments　to　their
bardment　continued　above　them。　Each　time　he　heard　it；　Larn
found　something　in　the　tone　of　the　way　they　said　the　phrase　that　made　him　uneasy。　It　was　a　tone；　he
realised；　of　nervousness　and　quiet　anxiety。　The　tone　of　fear；　he　thought　with　a　sudden　shudder。
“Bulaven？”　he　asked　the　big　man　beside　him。　“What　is　The　Big　Push？”
For　a　moment　the　Vardan　was　silent；　his　usually　affable　manner　replaced　by　the　bleak　and
brooding　expression　of　a　parent　who　realises　he　can　no　longer　protect　his　child　from　the　dark
realities　of　the　world。
“It　is　a　bad　thing；　new　fish；”　Bulaven　said。　“A　story　you　could　call　it；　I　suppose。　Or　a　myth。　You
know　when　the　preachers　talk　in　church　of　the　Last　Judgement　when　the　Emperor　will　finally　step
forward　from　His　throne　once　more　and　judge　humanity　for　its　sins？　The　Big　Push　is　like　that。”
94
“It　is　something　in　the　manner　of　a　folktale；”　Scholar　said；　standing　next　to　him。　“The　Big　Push
is　the　mythic　apocalypse　that　every　Guardsman　in　this　city　dreads。　A　Day　of　Judgement；　as　Bulaven
puts　it；　when　the　orks　will　at　last　mount　their　long…expected　final　assault　and　the　city　of　Broucheroc
will　fall。　It　is　a　nightmare；　new　fish。　The　one　thing　that　the　defenders　of　this　city　fear　more　than
anything　else。　And；　as　such；　I　am　not　surprised　you　heard　it　mentioned。　For　the　orks　to　launch　so
many　assaults　across　different　sectors　at　once　and　coordinate　them　with　artillery　bombardment　is
highly　unusual。　So　unusual　in　fact　that　it　is　easy　to　see　in　it　the　portent　of　something　larger。”
“The　Big　Push　is　bullshit；　new　fish；”　Davir　said。　“A　story　that　the　mothers　of　this　city　scare　their
children　to　sleep　with；　nothing　more。　Put　it　from　your　mind。”
At　that；　they　became